


Carving Pumpkins and Catching Light

by EwanMcGregorIsMyHomeboy12



Series: Codywan Modern AU: Tiny Dots, Burning Bright [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Costumes, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Halloween, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Nightmare Before Christmas References, Wholesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:48:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27214432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EwanMcGregorIsMyHomeboy12/pseuds/EwanMcGregorIsMyHomeboy12
Summary: “Are you ever going to allow me into the shed?” Obi-Wan asked, looking over the top of his pumpkin at Cody, who was carving his with a precision that Obi-Wan had only ever seen on when he was reading particularly frustrating emails from coworkers. “I’m starting to think you’ve got bodies hidden in there.”Part of the TIny Dots, Burning Bright Universe but can be read alone.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Series: Codywan Modern AU: Tiny Dots, Burning Bright [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1765312
Comments: 17
Kudos: 120





	Carving Pumpkins and Catching Light

**Author's Note:**

> Literally just some wholesome things I wanted to write. We all need some softness, and I hope you enjoy it :)

“Are you ever going to allow me into the shed?” Obi-Wan asked, looking over the top of his pumpkin at Cody, who was carving his with a precision that Obi-Wan had only ever seen on when he was reading particularly frustrating emails from coworkers. “I’m starting to think you’ve got bodies hidden in there.”

“It’s almost ready,” Cody assured him, not taking his eyes off of his pumpkin where he was shaving slivers of skin off in a neat pile.

Obi-Wan considered himself a graduate of the Qui-Gon Jinn School of Pumpkin Carving which essentially consisted of stabbing out slightly mismatched eyes and pointy teeth while eating large bites of raw pumpkin and roasting the seeds with a sprinkle of cinnamon, sugar, and salt. Ahsoka was much the same, and for years their pumpkins had earned them both withering looks from Anakin who, always good with his hands, was far superior at the art. The year before, for the twins first Halloween, he had carved the entire Addams family into the set of Jack O’Lanterns they had kept on their porch to match their costumes. The picture of Morticia, Gomez, Wednesday, and Pugsley with their row of lit pumpkins had won the fan-favorite prize for the city’s Instagram page and a fifty dollar gift card that had kept the four of them in hand-cranked ice cream for weeks.

Obi-Wan had his final research review due in October that year and used it as the perfect excuse to not carve pumpkins. Cody has been busy enough with taking care of his father that he thankfully had not mentioned it either.

But now, for their first Halloween spent in the new house; _their_ house, Cody had started mentioning it as soon as Obi-Wan had flipped the calendar over to October. Only a few days later, in the first grocery trip of the month, Cody had picked up a set of pie pumpkins to set in the windowsills. That next weekend, Obi-Wan had accepted that they were doing this and had insisted they buy their carving pumpkins from the Farmer’s Market.

He had not expected, however, for Cody to fill Obi-Wan’s small gray sedan with large pumpkins, pie pumpkins, hand pumpkins, gourds, squashes, and a basket of vines so that he could then construct a full tilt autumnal display in their front yard. It was not that Obi-Wan did not enjoy Halloween; of course he did. It was simply that it seemed that most adults considered Halloween a decent excuse to drink slightly spiced bourbon until they passed out on the couch and he had lost the urge to go to party like that a long time ago.

But now, here with Cody, he thought he could understand the appeal of the holiday a bit more. Cody seemed genuinely enthused at the orange and purple lights they had hung up in downtown, at the chalk art mural of classic movie monsters, at all of the autumnally themed craft beers that had been accumulating in their pantry, occasionally taste-tested over dinner. Padme had called one night to see if they were interested in doing a group costume, and Cody had responded with such enthusiasm about it that Obi-Wan had felt a buzz of excitement about it himself, even if dressing as a character from Halloweentown to hand out candy was not his usual cup of tea.

“Rex told me that I would, and I quote, ‘Lose my damn mind’ when I did finally get to see it.”

Obi-Wan saw the tops of Cody’s cheeks darken his skin a bit and wasn’t sure if it was a blush or frustration with his brother.

“He never has been able to mind his own business,” Cody grumbled, but Obi-Wan was certain that it actually confirmed the blush theory rather than the anger theory. “I got dad a three day fishing trip for his retirement and he completely ruined the surprise.”

“So, I can assume that whatever is in the shed is a surprise, then?” Obi-Wan couldn’t’ help but grin over at Cody who had a slight look of panic on his face.

“No!” He said quickly, far too quickly, and his blush further darkened as deep as Obi-Wan had seen.

He smiled to himself, but decided not to tease him much more. He was dying to know what Cody had done with the shed; it seemed that everyone, from Rex to Gree to Padme to Ahsoka to Anakin had been in there helping Cody with whatever project he was working on, but Obi-Wan had not been inside of it since Cody, Jango, Waxer, and Boil had constructed it the second weekend that they had been there. Then, it had seemed a very simple, straightforward shed.

“How is your pumpkin going?” Cody asked, and Obi-Wan could hear his desire to change the subject.

“Rather classic,” Obi-Wan said, and looked down. He felt rather proud that he had included the nose this time, a new addition to his usual; repertoire. “Standard spooky face.”

Cody had the misfortune of looking up at the moment that Obi-Wan popped one of the eyes free on the end of his knife and took a large bite of the raw pumpkin stuck to the end of it. 

“You’re going to catch something doing that.”

“It’s a squash!”

“You know bugs live in squashes.”

“Bugs live in everything, that’s hardly a criteria to judge something on.”

Cody had done his best to keep a straight face but when Obi-Wan took a second bite, holding eye contact, the couldn’t help the smile that broke. “Remind me not to kiss you until you brush your teeth.”

Obi-Wan popped the bottom back off of his pumpkin, shaking vigorously the shaker of cinnamon that he they had gotten from the cabinet. He lit the wick of the small candle that he had sitting on the side of his desk and place the top careful back over it. "All done!" He announced and turned it so Cody could see.

The corner of Cody’s mouth twitched as he looked at it, but he managed to hold it together long enough to say, “It’s gorgeous.” Before he ducked his head down out of sight to finish his own pumpkin.

Obi-Wan waited for what he has assumed would be a long time, but actually felt rather quick, eating bits of raw pumpkin that he had scooped out. Cody took the cinnamon sugar, sprinkling the inside of his pumpkin and careful set his down on the candle. He leaned back in the chair, leaving the ground for a moment to turn off the dining room light so that their pumpkins could glow.

He lifted it carefully, the faint smell of the warming cinnamon coming from both already settling in the air of the dining room, and set it down next to Obi-Wan’s. Obi-Wan blinked, genuinely astounded by what he saw there.

It was their house. With the scaffolding and the windows and two small figures holding hands next to it on the lawn. It wasn’t just a house, it was unmistakably _their house_ and he felt a bit choked with emotion.

“Let’s put them outside,” Cody said, smiling broadly at the look on Obi-Wan’s face as he stared at pumpkin he had carved.

“Both of them?” Obi-Wan asked incredulously, “Yours, certainly.”

“Both.” Cody insisted and reached across the table to pick up Obi-Wan’s to head for the door where they could place them on the railing. “You do see the two figures on mine, don’t you?”

Obi-Wan lifted the masterpiece pumpkin from the table, half of him wanting to show the world how beautiful it was, the other half of him wanting to hold the warming gourd to his chest and soak in how perfect this holiday was turning out to be.

“Padme was very impressed by your pumpkin,” Obi-Wan said, running a hand through Cody’s hair where he had it laying across his lap, the Turner Classic Movies channel playing the original Dracula on their living room television.

“Anakin said he knew exactly which one you had done,” Cody teased, nuzzling his head against Obi-Wan’s touch. Obi-Wan stopped his fingers until Cody looked up at him, laughing at Obi-Wan’s glare. “I’m going to get a drink. You want one?”

“Yes, please. Whatever you’re having.”

They were making their way through their stock of craft brew—‘donating’ some to Anakin or Rex as the Pumpkin Spice or Autumn Leaves IPA’s did not turn out quite so tasty—as part of the Halloween season. Cody stood with a roll off of the couch, and Obi-Wan could hear him rustling through the fridge before the tell tale sign of two caps being popped off reached his ears.

When he came back, he didn’t lay down again but instead sat right next to Obi-Wan, leaning back and head over slightly to lean on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. Their legs pressed together and Cody was warm, very warm in contrast to the beer that was cold in his hand. It was one of the good ones, with just a touch of what he thought might be nutmeg underlining the flavor. It was better than the one he had with dinner, and a touch stronger too, flooding the rest of him with warmth that spread from where Cody’s leg pressed against him.

“This is good,” He said after a second long swig of it, “Really good actually.”

“Might be the best one we’ve bought so far,” Cody said, and they sat with the movie rolling until Obi-Wan drained the last bit of his beer from his bottle and set it on a coaster on the end table. The heat radiating from Cody mixed with the warmth and spice flooding through him from the beer. He moved the hand that was between them down to Cody’s thigh, resting it just over the edge of what could be considered an innocent touch.

“Cody,” Cody looked up at him, dark brown eyes reflecting what he thought was his own idea of how they might spend the next bit of the evening. “How invested are you in the end of the film?”

“Van Helsing kills Dracula,” Cody replied back and Obi-Wan laughed against Cody’s lips as he shifted and pressed him back into the couch.

“Our house will get toilet-papered if we give those out,” Cody said, looking pointedly at the bag of Werther’s caramels that Obi-Wan was getting ready to toss into the cart. “Unless you had been planning on giving out candy at the nursing home and hadn’t told me.”

Obi-Wan scowled. He happened to very much enjoy Werther’s caramels and pointedly put the bag in the cart even as a half-amused smile formed to match Cody’s slightly raised eyebrows. “Who says the kids should be the only one to get a treat on Halloween?” He said, turning back to the wall of candy.

He head the familiar sound of Cody covering a laugh with his hand when he didn’t want to admit that Obi-Wan was funny and allowed himself a self-satisfied smile. “So which of these should we get to hand out?”

There were bags of candy weighing in at 3, 5, and 10 pounds a piece. Gummy worms in scarily vibrant colors; M&M’s in every shape and flavor; Tootsie roll pops with the owl still on them; Reese’s cups with pumpkins on the wrappers; whole tubes of sweet tarts individually contained. It was a child’s dream and a dentist’s nightmare.

“What kind of candy did you enjoy getting as a kid?”

“I think we’ve established that my candy preferences may not be for the good of the neighborhood.”

This time Cody couldn’t disguise his laugh and moved from behind the cart to give the wall careful consideration. He slid an arm around Obi-Wan almost absentmindedly and Obi-Wan could not help the small glow of warmth in his chest at that. He had never considered himself particularly physically affectionate. For whatever reason, he had always hesitated when it came to expressing himself that way, always thinking that it was something to reserve. Cody, however, very much centered himself with touch.

Touching hands during still moments in traffic, a hand on Obi-Wan’s leg when they would read on the couch, sleeping with his chest pressed against Obi-Wan or his head on Obi-Wan’s shoulder, pressing their fingertips together on top of the table when they were out having dinner or entwining their fingers all together when they went out to eat with others and sat on the same side of the table. Each touch, every time, made Obi-Wan just a bid giddy.

He had mentioned it to Cody once, which had started them on a spiraling conversation about what the other did. Obi-Wan sent Cody flowers to work, shared with him articles on topics that Cody had mentioned as being a point of interest, would pack Cody his own Bento box of lunch with an extra container of sliced strawberries when Obi-Wan packed his own. The whole conversation had made him feel strangely warm—to know that Cody recognized what he was trying to say and mean when he did those things, even if he did not always realize it himself at the time.

“We need to be sure and get something for the kids who are allergic to nuts,” Cody said, and Obi-Wan reached for a large pack of individually wrapped packs of Skittles. “And something for the kids who like chocolate.” He reached for two bags of miniature crunch bars and tossed them into the cart as well. “Anything else we should cover?”

“Sugar-free,” Obi-Wan said, and took a bag of sugar-free gummy worms, listed as vegetarian, from the shelf. “If we think of anything else, we still have a week to come back.”

“We should ask Padme,” Cody said, moving to push the cart as they headed towards the baking aisle. They had volunteered and were subsequently in charge of a Halloween cookie baking and decorating soiree at Anakin and Padme’s house for Luke and Leia’s headstart class. It had started as an activity for Luke and Leia and then at Saturday’s Tornadoes game, they had discovered that one of the children there had a little sister that was in the same class. It had snowballed from there and now there were twelve two and three year olds coming over three days before Halloween to make poorly decorated pumpkins and ghosts with cookies that he and Cody were in charge of. “The city put out that list for inclusive tick-or-treating.”

Obi-Wan sent a quick text to her as Cody started to stack packs of pre-cut sugar cookie dough into the cart. “Do you think we should get the pre-colored frosting?” Cody asked, standing in front of the wall of icing and food coloring.

A image flashed through Obi-Wan’s mind of him and Cody trying desperately to mix the correct amount of orange food coloring in bowls of frosting while gaggles of two year old’s smeared cookie dough and sugar all over the tables and chairs in Anakin and Padme’s kitchen. “Yes,” He said, sliding his phone into his pocket and rolling the cart forward, “Definitely the pre-colored.”

“What a night,” Obi-Wan said, wiping the last of the costume make up from his face, feeling as though he thoroughly needed a shower. Cody definitely needed one, since he had been dressed as the mad scientist from Halloweentown (who’s name Obi-Wan could not recall) and had dusted himself with white that stuck liberally in his hair and over his face. Obi-Wan’s had been a bit easier; as the mayor of Halloweentown, he had worn a two sided mask and top hat, so no make-up had been necessary.

“Think I’ll shower,” Cody said, after a quick swipe of a baby wipe proved fruitless. Obi-Wan hummed his agreement, shedding parts of his own costume as Cody disappeared into their en suite. The night had been a roller coaster from start to finish and now, hanging up the long coat he had worn as part of his costume, he couldn’t’ stop smiling.

It had started at Anakin and Padme’s where they had eaten dinner and taken pictures with both of Obi-Wan’s siblings, Padme, Barriss, and the twins in their themed costumes. He and Cody had walked down to the park near their house and taken a couple of pictures there, picking up pumpkin milkshake from the booth that was parked there to cater to trick-or-treaters. As the sun was setting, the trick-or-treaters had started to appear. There had to have been hundreds of them, dressed in everything from cat costumes to some teenagers who were wearing sweat shirts and trying to get candy. Some of the smaller ones had been afraid until Obi-Wan took of his mask and several of them had stopped to take pictures. They had even met a Jack and Sally, who had asked to take a picture with them. It had been a constant filling and refilling of the big bowls they had, excited first timers, nervous parents, screaming babies.

Obi-Wan heard the shower turn on as he peeled off the white button-up shirt he had worn under his coat. Laying it over the basket, he couldn’t help but think that it would be a real shame to waste time on the night that could be spent together taking separate showers. He slipped his socks off and then his pants, deciding that it was best to make sure Cody was interested before he just climbed into the shower—though he didn’t expect any argument.

He opened the bathroom door, steam already rolling out. Cody liked his showers hot enough to turn Obi-Wan’s skin pink, filling the bathroom with steam.

“Is that you?” He heard Cody’s muffled voice from behind the curtain.

“It’s me,” Obi-Wan confirmed, “No Norman Bates today.”

“Everything okay?” Obi-Wan looked through the curtain, seeing Cody with his face full in the water, washing the white powder from his face.

“I thought you might like some company,” He said, and felt a moment of nervousness as Cody didn’t respond immediately. But then his head, face washed clean of paint but hair still full of it, poked out of the curtain.

“I would love some,” Diverting his gaze a bit shyly at the sight of Obi-Wan there In just his boxer briefs, watching Cody, “Only if its you though.” He slipped his head back into the shower as Obi-Wan laughed, shedding the last of his clothes and climbing in to join his husband.

“Halloween is over Cody,” Obi-Wan said pointedly, stepping carefully through the backyard, “You know I don’t care much for surprises elsewise.”

“It was meant to be done before Halloween,” Cody said, keeping Obi-Wan steady with his hand on his arm. “It was actually meant to be done at the start of October before your research was due. But I couldn’t get the paint in time.”

That, to Obi-Wan seemed an odd timeline. So much of the past month had revolved around Halloween and now, five days into November, it still seemed as if they were finding their footing heading towards Thanksgiving. But this morning, after he had made them both a nice breakfast as he liked to do on Saturdays, Cody had insisted that he put on a blindfold and follow him into the backyard. Obi-Wan had been half afraid he would hear the barking of a dog and Cody would announce that they had adopted one on the fly for their first winter.

But no bark came and he walked carefully through the yard with Cody’s guidance. “Okay, stop,” Cody said, and Obi-Wan did, nervous anticipation curling in his stomach. Then the blindfold was gone, and Obi-Wan was looking at…the shed.

He stood still, wondering what exactly to say since he had seen the shed many times, but then noticed that dangling in front of him between Cody’s thumb and forefinger was a key. Obi-Wan took it and stepped up onto the small porch of the shed, twisting open the door lock to look inside.

He blinked first, the window in the back not letting in too much light in the overcast fall weather, but then Cody was behind him, flicking on the overhead light. Obi-Wan couldn’t react for a long time, simply looking around, trying his best to take in what was in front of him.

“I know that your biggest concern was that the house didn’t come with an office,” Cody said, “And that you had to finished your last paper at the dining room table….”

His voice trailed off and Obi-Wan could hear the nervous lilt in it and feel the slight shaking as Cody brushed his hand against his.

“Cody, I---I don’t know what to say…” The inside of the shed was beautiful. The walls were painted a slight mint green, light and almost botanical. An old model wooden professor’s desk was set up in one corner with a desktop monitor and internet booster. On the other side there was a loveseat that took up the whole of one short wall, in front of it a coffee table with coasters and the coffee table book of the London Underground he had brought home from England. There was a small wooden bookshelf with the hard copies of the journals he had for publication set on the shelves and photo albums lying on the lower shelf as well. There was a small table with a radio and CD player combination, plated with wood to match the rest, and slight green curtains over the windows. There were rugs under the furniture and in the walkways, lamps spread around the room to offer softer lighting than the overhead. A place to hag his coat and scarves on the back of the door, a small heater for when it started to get cold.

“You made me an office,” Obi-Wan said, taking another step in. Perhaps best of all were the pictures. One of him and Cody from their wedding in a large frame on the wall. All around it were others; him holding Luke and Leia one of the days they had gone to the park, one of his mother and Qui-Gon at Christmas when he had been only about ten years old, another of him and Anakin and Padme and Ahsoka at Anakin’s college graduation. There were others, of him and Cody and Cody’s brothers in varying combinations, of Anakin and Padme and Ahsoka and Luke and Leia and Bariss and the Tornadoes and Depa and Aayla and Mace and others. They peppered the wall with smiling faces and happy memories. Most recently, in a small black frame, was all of them in their Halloween costumes that year and another of him and Cody with their pumpkins that one of their neighbors had taken for them.

“Cody, it’s beautiful.”

“if you don’t like it, I can always—”

But Obi-Wan cut him off, wrapping him in an embrace and pressing a kiss to his half open mouth. It took a moment for Cody to react but he responded enthusiastically. The lightness that always seemed to encapsulate Obi-Wan’s stomach when Cody was near was present now in earnest. There had never been doubt that they were meant to be together, but marriage was new to both of them, and so much of it took him by surprise still. All the gentleness, the caring, the smallest moments that could become the biggest ideas.

“Thank you,” Obi-Wan said when they broke apart, pressing his cheek against Cody’s. “It’s absolutely beautiful, Cody.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Cody said back softly, “Trying to keep something like this a secret with both of our families involved is a lot harder than it looks.”

Obi-Wan laughed gently, “Oh, I can imagine that.” Anakin was about as good at keeping a secret as an open book, and Rex was not much better. “But believe me, I had no idea.”

Cody held him a bit closer, “You can break it in later. Don’t you have a paper you’re working on that’s due by winter break?”

“I think,” Obi-Wan stepped back and turned off the overhead light, closing the open door and twisting the lock there. “We could break it in right now.”

“In your office?” Cody said, with a bit of a surprised laugh, his dark blush darkening his cheeks again. “Are you sure?”

“Isn’t that what the couch is for?”


End file.
